Power-transmission mechanism.



C. W. TAYLOR. 4POWER TRANSMISSION MBCHANISM.

.AAPPLIOATION FILED NOV. 18, 1912.

19057466., Patented Apnl, 1913.

remise. l

@Nimm cLnIvaNcn w. TAYLOR, ITor (1I-Ireneo,` ILLINoIs, -AssIGNoR ToAGNES Ponen TAYLQR,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

i POWER-TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

`at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,-have inventedlcertain new and useful Improvements in PowenTransmission Mechanism, ofwhich #the following is a specification. f' l y My invention relates toimprovements in power transmission mechanism and the'objects of myimprovement when applied to a motor r-ehicle ara-First To providesimple, effective and quick acting devices for automatic coupling of arotatable part or housing connected with differential gearing with bothparts of a divided shaft for power transmission yin one direction andinstant release of either or both parts of the divided shaft from suchrotatable housing Without manual effort to permit either or both vehiclewheels to run relatively faster when the wheel mounts anobstruction ordrops into adeclivity or describes a longer radius curve,or the vehiclecoasts. Second.

To va'ord a positive two-wheel drive in one Adirection by slightalteration and addition to present automobile and truck construe# tionand the employment of -the ordinary diierentialf gear. rlhird. Theprovision o automatically operable means to prevent differential actionof the dierential mecha- `nism excepting whenl one or both vehicle turesand in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydebscribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis speciflcation, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereuntoappended, it being understood that changes, variations and modificationsin the details of the invention Within the scope of the claims, may beresorted to. without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of theadvantages thereof, hence I do not confine myself to the exactconstruction andarrangementbf parts shown and described.

Figure 1 is a horizontal central section of a rear axle of the Timkenlioating type for motor vehicles with the ordinary bevel geardifferential-driving mechanism with my improvement incorporatedtherewith. Fig. 2

Specicaton of Letters Patent nwhich carries an outwardly extending)rammed npr. i, una

Application filed November 18, 1912. Serial No. 731,934.

is a cross section on line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig.' 3 is a perspective ofone end of the rotatable housing which is connected withthe dierent-iaigearing. f 4

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.`

`One embodiment of my'invention'is as-- sembled ina Timken rearaXle ofla motor vehicle with the ordinary differential mech- .ings 5, andmounted on contiguous squared end-portions ofthe `divided shaft, de-

signed to be Vrevolved,and four bevel `pn p ions 7 journaled radiallybetween the two Vgear platesand meshing with them. rIhe shafts 8 of thepinious extend radially out-- ward into openings 9 in what is Atermed adriver or portion of a rotatable housing' 10,

nular Bange 11 to which is fixed a evel f 'gear wheel 12 by rivets 13.The pinion 1li Ain mesh with the gear wheel 12 is lixed to-v the driveshaft (not shown). Thef'nonro- .tatable housing 15 affords the. usualbearings 16 and 17 for the rotatable housing 1'0, Motion transmitted tothe housing 10, holdf ing the outer ends of thel pinion`shafts, causesboth. bevel-'gear platesj to revolve equally, unless one resists morethanthe other, in which case the small pinions revolve and permit theplate which moves easier to move farther.

For the purpose of automatically connecting the housing 10 at eachend'with one part of the divided shaft, I have formed both outerend-portions of the housinfq 1() with a one-way friction ratchet memberi18 having several roller-recesses 19, each provided with a limiting wall20. and inclined plane 20. Adjacent the ratchet member and. cooperatingtherewith is disposed a drum 21 opening inwardly and having a lhubportion 22 suitably ixed to the shaft drum 21, and causes the housingand the shaft to revolve together. As soon asthe direction of rotation of the housing is reversed the rollers are instantly freed from theircontact. Vhen the speed of one or both vehicle wheels exceeds that ofthe housing the rollers are promptly released from power transmissionengagement with the drum.

Between the shaft 6 and each outer end s of-the housing-10 there isplaceda bushing of a' longitudinal strain. This is the pre- 'humanintelligence i ferred construct-ion. The respective ends of therotatable housing and the two clutch members fixed tothe two parts ofthe divided shaft constitute two clutches.

By i my present construction, combination and arrangement of parts, Iafford a positive two-wheel forward drive in motor-ve,- hicle andinstant differential action of either or both rear vehicle wheels withbut'slight addition to and changel of the ordinary differentialmechanism and parts of the divided shaft. I have thus avoided theobjection urged against some forms of manually operated devices'forlocking and unlocking the differential., namely, that fno s sufficientfor the task of unlocking the dierential at the scientifically correctmoment, and thatv an'y moment less than the scientifically correct makesthe lock too dangerous for a careful manufacturer to' sell to aconliding customer.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a power transmission mechanism, the combination of a dividedshaft, differential gearing connecting the opposing ends of the dividedshaft, a clutch member fixed 'to each portion of the ,divided shaft, arotatable housing in operative engagement with the differential gearing,said housing having its opposite ends suitably formed toconstitutemembers of clutches for one-way power transmitting engagementwith the clutch members fi-Xed to the respective portions of the dividedshaft, a plurality of rollers between the members of the respectiveclutches, and means to rotate the housing.

2. In, power transmission mechanism, the

combination of a divided shaft, differential gearing connecting theopposing ends of the divided shaft, a' rotatable housing in operativerelation lwith the differential gearing, and a plurality of one-wayclutches eadh comprising amember fixed toone part of lthe divided shaftand an adjacent end of the rotatable housing constituting the otherclutch member, and rollers disposed between the members of therespective clutches to cause the shafts and the housing to rotatetogether in one direction and to permit either shaft to instantlydisengage from the rotatable housing without manualeffort and rotatefaster in a forward direction than the housing.

3. In ower transmission mechanism the combination of a divided shaft,differential gearing connecting the opposing ends of the divided shaft,a rotatable housing inoperative engagement with the differentialgearing, means for rotating the housing, and a plurality of one-wayclutches each comprising a member vided shaft and an adjacent end of therotatable housing and means therebetween to causel the shafts and thehousing to rotate together and to permit 'either shaft to in stantlydisengage from the housing without manual effort and rotate faster in aIforward direction than the housing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE IV. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

C. RICHARD Bn'ivrs, Sco'rr M. HOGAN.

